Carpe Diem
by WhyteRoze28
Summary: Phineas and Ferb are teenagers, but things haven't been going that well for either of them lately. Will things get better, or are things to far gone to fix? Slash. Don't like, Don't read.
1. Chapter 1

Carpe Diem

Whyteroze28

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas, Ferb or their friends. They belong to Dan Povenmire, and Jeff Marsh.

Phineas and Ferb are teenagers, but things haven't been going that well for either of them lately. Will things get better, or are things to far gone to fix? Slash. Don't like, Don't read. And the title of this comes from a song that will be in the musical version of the 'Rollercoaster' episode.

Chapter 1

Ferb Fletcher was bored.

But then, he was always bored lately. The last time he could remember not being bored was... years ago. From the ages of ten to twelve, he and his step-brother had spent their entire summers building and creating new and different things. But then, with the onset of Junior High, things had changed. Their friend/neighborhood bully Buford Van Stomm had moved away, Ferb had been transferred, along with their friend Baljeet Rai, to the Danville Academy, because of his high grades, and Phineas had begun hanging out more with the girl across the street, Isabella Garcia-Shapiro.

Ferb sighed, and stretched out on the lawn chair he was lying in. It wasn't that he was really missing his childhood... there were some things he'd be happier not even thinking about again, but he really missed the closeness they'd all had during those years. It had been the five of them (and sometimes Irving) against the world. They had pretty much done everything they could to make those days memorable.

He chuckled to himself as he thought about his brother's strange relationship with Isabella. She had been in love with him since the day they'd met. Unfortunately, for her, Phineas Flynn was as oblivious to her hints and innuendo nowadays as he'd been at ten.

_And that's not all he's oblivious to,_ he thought, sighing again. It seemed the red-headed boy was destined to go through life with hordes of pretty girls chasing him. And they didn't even register on Phineas' radar. Strangely enough, he never missed any sign of a crush on someone else. Hell, he'd even noticed (and agreed never to mention) Baljeet's crush on Buford. _But let anyone show a sign of interest in him, and he distances himself from them, at least emotionally._

He picked up his towel and things from beside the chair, and walked into the garage. He secured his stuff, hopped on his bike, and started for the beach. It was too nice a day to sit around feeling sorry for himself. A few blocks from the house though, he stopped, as he saw a moving truck in the driveway of a previously vacant house. Then he caught sight of the person leaving the house.

"Buford?"

The boy looked up, and Ferb stared. It _was_ Buford, albiet a highly changed Buford, at least looks-wise. Where he had been short and chubby as a child, this Buford was tall, and much more athletic looking.

"Hey, Fletcher. Where you heading?"

"The beach. Wanna come? Unless, you're busy unpacking or something?"

Buford shook his head. "Nah, the movers got most of it. Just gimme a sec to get my suit and stuff." When the other boy went back inside, Ferb pulled out his cell phone. "Hey, Baljeet, what are you doing today?"

From the other end of the connection, Ferb heard a heavy sigh. "Summer school homework, what else?"

"Well, can you grab your trunks and meet me at the beach?"

There was a hint of confusion in the other boy's voice, but he eventually agreed. Ferb grinned. Hopefully, someone would get some enjoyment out of this day anyway.

Almost twenty minutes later, the two boys were locking their bikes up at the bike rack, and Ferb smiled again as he saw Baljeet's bike was already there. Then he heard the accented voice speak up. "All right, now what was so important?"

"'Jeet?"

He watched the darker boy flush as he took in the face of the boy with Ferb. "Buford? When... How...?"

"My mom got transfered back to Danville. We just got back to town yesterday."

Ferb left the two of them talking, and headed for the nearby surf shack. In the past few years, surfing had gotten to be a big fad in the Tri-state area, and Ferb had gotten really good at it.

After he had rented his board, and stripped down to his trunks, he saw Baljeet and Buford sitting on a blanket near the water. He smiled as he watched the two of them talking animatedly. They seemed to be catching up well. Then he froze. Coming up the beach, heads close together, were Phineas and Isabella. He turned, pretending that he hadn't seen them, and headed for the water.

For the next hour or so, he tried to concentrate on surfing, but every time he looked at the beach, he could see his friends laughing and talking, and he realized that he wouldn't be able to ignore them forever. Phineas and Isabella had joined the others and they were obviously all having a good time. They even got in the water a few times, but Ferb made sure to steer clear whenever he saw them nearby.

By the time he returned his board, they were all packing up, and he smiled as he saw Buford hold out his hand to help Baljeet stand up. Then he saw Isabella hold out her hand, obviously wanting Phineas to do the same for her, and he bit back a growl. It wouldn't do for the dark-haired girl to see how much she got under his skin.

Phineas glanced down at her in surprise and then, ever the gentleman, helped her up. She sighed, and Ferb ground his teeth together. When they had been ten, it had been cute... and he had even felt a little sorry for her. But lately, she was getting pushier, and he could see that it wouldn't take much more for her to just decide to tell him how she felt. He wondered idly if he really wanted to be anywhere near them when that happened. Then he shook his head. No. No, he did not.

Then he heard Buford ask Phineas if he was planning anything big for this summer, and he caught the look on his step-brother's face. It had gone completely blank.

"Oh, Phineas and Ferb don't do that stuff anymore," Isabella told him, giggling a little. "They're just normal teenagers now."

Normal... Why on earth would she say that. Didn't she know how much Phineas hated to be classified as normal? Then he watched (with more than a little glee) as Phineas glared at her. The red-head then turned and stalked over to the bike rack, before turning to look back at them. "Come over tomorrow. You'll see then."

As he watched Phineas ride away, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Were things finally going to get back to the way they had been? He couldn't help remembering Phineas' declaration that first day of their summer vacation when they were ten.

"I, for one am starting to get bored, and boredom is something of up with which I will not put!"


	2. Chapter 2

Carpe Diem

Whyteroze28

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas, Ferb or their friends. They belong to Dan Povenmire, and Jeff Marsh.

Phineas and Ferb are teenagers, but things haven't been going that well for either of them lately. Will things get better, or are things to far gone to fix? Slash. Don't like, Don't read. And the title of this comes from a song that will be in the musical version of the 'Rollercoaster' episode.

Chapter 2

On his way home from the beach (alone, because Buford and Baljeet had decided to go to Mr. Slushy Burger, and Isabella had taken off right after Phineas had), he had time to contemplate what had just occurred. He'd never really seen Phineas mad... unless you count that one time he'd yelled at Candace. But this time, he'd been absolutely furious.

Ferb opened the gate into their backyard, and stopped in amazement. His step-brother was sitting on the ground with all of their old plans spread out around him, but instead of actually looking at any of them, he was... crying?

Ferb raced over to the boy, and wrapped his arms around him. He couldn't bear to see it. The smaller boy just turned so his face was buried in Ferb's shirt, and continued to sob. "H-How could we have let this happen, Ferb?" he asked, when he had finally calmed down some. "We gave up on the mission."

_The mission to make every day count._ Ferb thought sadly as he remembered the day they'd thought that up. Then he pulled back slightly and frowned as he saw the tear-streaked face in front of him. "Well, then. We'll just have to put four years worth of effort into making this summer the best we can."

Phineas smiled up at him, and he couldn't help the answering smile that spread across his face. It was a big change from the Phineas he'd seen recently. This was the Phineas he remembered. The one that made the impossible possible.

Ferb reached out to grab one of the blueprints at random, and laughed as he saw the plans which had started it all. The rollercoaster. Phineas glanced over, and laughed as well.

"Somehow, I don't think we want to do that again."

They spent the next hour putting all the ideas back in the folder, reminiscing at some of them, like the time they'd shrunk themselves, the time they'd built the androids, and travelling in the bubble.

Then as he picked up the next one, Phineas' eyes gleamed, and he looked up. Ferb recognized the look, and the slightly evil grin that accompanied it, but he still couldn't stop the familiar feeling that flowed through him as he heard the words he hadn't heard in four years. "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today." Then Phineas corrected himself. "Well, I know what we're gonna do tomorrow."

Ferb bit back a laugh, and held out his hand for the plans. Then, as he scanned the paper, he frowned. "Didn't we already do this one?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought we could..." As he listened to the explanation, Ferb began nodding his head. A combination of two of their inventions, was the perfect way to start the summer. It wasn't exactly the greatest thing they'd ever done, but it would be a good way to ease themselves back into things. They began making their list of necessities, and at some moments it felt like they were back to the point where they were so in sync that Ferb could almost believe that the intervening years hadn't happened.

Then they decided to head to the mega-store for supplies. But when he got there, he couldn't believe his eyes. He saw something... or rather someone... that really brought back the memories.

And apparently, Phineas remembered as well. "Hey, Ferb, isn't that Vanessa?"

The girl... well, woman... in question, looked up as she heard her name. "Hey. Ferb, and... Phineas, right?"

"Yeah, what've you been up to?"

She smiled. "College. I've got some classes with your sister, and her fiancee. Have they come in, yet?"

Phineas shook his head. "They're planning to come back for Mom and Dad's anniversary, but that's not until next week."

"Oh, cool." She glanced around, and waved someone over. "Hey, Johnny, these are those kids I told you about. You know, the ones who chased the sun around the world, making their own 40-hour day."

The guy who came over looked familiar to Ferb. He thought he'd seen him with Vanessa once before, but he wasn't sure. He and Phineas shook hands with the guy as Vanessa introduced them. Then she gave them a curious look. "So, what are you two planning this time?"

Phineas began to explain their plan to her, and she nodded, as if she really was interested. Then Ferb froze, as he caught sight of something. The perfect thing to complete their design. As he started towards it, he heard Vanessa laugh. He turned back, and saw her glance at him. "So, are you ever going to tell me what Ferb is short for?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, chuckling a little. "It's short for..."

"Vaneeeeeeeeeeeeeessa!"

"Oops, that's my dad. Sorry, maybe next time."

He watched her and Johnny walk away, and smiled. That was a strange meeting... then again, every meeting he'd ever had with that girl had been strange. Then he shook his head. He turned to start back towards the display that had caught his eye, then he stopped again. "Listen."

Phineas cocked his head, and smiled. "PFT!" He started humming their one and only hit, as the tune played over the loudspeakers, and Ferb couldn't help feeling another frisson of happiness that the boy was back to his old self. Then he pointed out what he'd seen, and Phineas' eyes lit up. "That's perfect. Why do you always seem able to read my mind, when it comes to this stuff?"

Ferb shrugged, knowing he was probably blushing. He'd always seemed to know what Phineas was thinking when they were young, but he'd often wondered lately if that had stopped... apparently not.

"You know, we have to figure out where we're going to set this thing up," Phineas said, as they were riding home. "We got away with a lot when we were kids, but somehow I don't think we'll be so lucky now."

Ferb thought for a moment. "Well, how about the old abandoned Old Abandoned Amusement Park?"

"Great idea. Let's hurry up and get back so we can get all the little details figured out."

By the time they got home, it was dinnertime, so they decided to go ahead and eat, then they grabbed their sleeping bags, and headed outside to their old treehouse. Then they spent the next few hours double-checking their blueprints... and perfecting their old dance moves.


	3. Chapter 3

Carpe Diem

Whyteroze28

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas, Ferb or their friends. They belong to Dan Povenmire, and Jeff Marsh.

Phineas and Ferb are teenagers, but things haven't been going that well for either of them lately. Will things get better, or are things to far gone to fix? Slash. Don't like, Don't read. And the title of this comes from a song that will be in the musical version of the 'Rollercoaster' episode.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Ferb woke up before Phineas, and looked over to see the red-head curled up in his sleeping bag, one arm wrapped around their pet platypus, Perry. Apparently, the little monotreme had managed to get up into their treehouse sometime during the night. That was odd, but Ferb decided that there wasn't any real reason to worry. After all, Perry had a habit of turning up in strange places.

He climbed down into the backyard, taking a deep breath. "Ah, morning in the 'burbs," he sighed. Then he went inside to see if breakfast was ready, but instead there was a note on the table.

_Boys, Gone to the antiques symposium this weekend, so you're on your own 'til Sunday night. There's food in the fridge, and don't forget to feed Perry. Love Mum and Dad._

"Well, that takes care of where we're going to build this," Ferb stated, as he got out the stuff to make breakfast. When he was done, he carried it out to the picnic table in the backyard, and yelled up into the treehouse that breakfast was ready.

Phineas climbed down carrying Perry, and looked around blearily. "Why are we eating out here?" he asked, as he set the platypus down and rubbed his eyes.

Ferb showed him the note, and commented on not needing to go anywhere else to build the project. He watched Phineas become more animated as he began to wake up more, and got some food into his system. Then Phineas took the dishes inside as Ferb headed into the garage to get his tools. Then they double-checked the blueprints and began to build.

When they were about halfway done, Ferb heard voices coming from the other side of the fence, and he looked up to see Isabella, Buford and Baljeet walk in, followed by...

"Irving?" Phineas' voice went up a notch. Ferb could understand why. They hadn't seen Irving often in the last few years either. He'd stopped coming around so much when they'd stopped building their projects. Unfortunately, unlike Buford, Irving hadn't changed a bit.

"Hey, Phineas," Isabella said, walking over to him. "What'cha' doin'?"

Ferb looked back down at his toolbox, and gritted his teeth. That phrase was starting to get really annoying. However, it didn't even phase Phineas... like always.

"Oh, we're taking the plans from the portal we built for Baljeet, and tweaking the destination. We're going to go visit our star... You remember, the one Dad bought us?"

Baljeet had walked over and was looking over the plans. "You can do that? If I remember, we had so much trouble just getting it to go to Mars."

Phineas just grinned. "Ferb and I can do anything when we put our heads together, you know that."

Ferb looked up again, and saw something he'd never seen before. Isabella was glaring angrily at him. She'd never paid him much attention when they were kids, but they'd usually gotten along well when they had interracted. He wondered if she was just upset that Phineas wasn't paying her any attention, or if there was something else on her mind.

Then Phineas began assigning duties to the others, and things went fairly quickly. The music was playing on their old radio, and everyone seemed to have no problems doing what they were told to do. Although Ferb noticed fairly early on that Irving spent most of his time trying to work as close to him as possible. He'd always thought of Irving as his stalker... the boy had a lock of his hair, for crying out loud. But it seemed to have gotten worse in the last few years.

He did notice that Buford and Baljeet were working well together though. Every time he looked their way, he caught a random smile or touch between the two, and he couldn't help but smirk as he realized that things seemed to be working out good for the two of them.

Then he realized that Phineas and Isabella weren't in the yard. He edged closer to the sliding doors, on the pretense of checking the blueprints, and heard the girl's voice clearly.

"I can't believe you'd rather spend time visiting some stupid asteroid than go to the dance with me!"

Ah, now he understood. The girl's choice dance. They held it every year, and Phineas and Isabella always went... though always as friends. He smiled to himself, remembering the fact that they'd hade the dance the last time the boys had gone to visit theit asteroid as well... _Funny how you remember little details like that._

"Isabella, the dance isn't until tonight," Phineas replied. His voice was getting closer, so Ferb bent down over the blueprints, trying to appear uninterested in the conversation. "And anyway, we always go together, wouldn't you rather go with a date than a friend?"

"Of course I want to go with a _date_!" she snarled, stressing the last word. But Phineas had already moved away, and begun putting the finishing touches on the portal.

As she stepped outside, Ferb looked up at her, and she glared at him again. "This is all _your_ fault, you know."

Ferb laughed. "Actually, I believe it was someone calling him _normal_, if you must know. Phineas hates for anyone to think he is just like everybody else."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"And you've known him for how long?" he asked sarcastically as he went to join everyone else at the portal. As he looked through it, he saw the familiar sight of the Shooting Star Milkshake Bar, and smiled. It seemed the same as it had been years ago.

Phineas spread his arms wide, and motioned towards the portal. "Okay, everyone, here we go."

As the red-head stepped through, Ferb caught Isabella's contemplative expression, and sighed. "Are you coming or not?"

She nodded, and got in line. "I'm sorry, Ferb. I didn't mean to take this out on you. I'm just so tired of Phineas' obliviousness. It's like he doesn't even care that I like him."

As they stepped through the other side, Ferb turned to look at her. "Have you ever considered that maybe he's doing it on purpose?"

"What?"

"Well, everytime you start getting romantic, he starts doing or saying something else, right?" She nodded again. "Have you ever thought that maybe he's hoping you might give up, so he won't have to hurt your feelings?" As she stared at him in shock, he continued. "I'm not saying he is, but the only ones I've ever seen him show real affection towards are Mum, Dad and Candace... and Perry. I mean the only thing he's ever said to me is that he couldn't have asked for a better brother, you remember? Yet he's very perceptive when it comes to everyone else's romantic problems. So maybe..."

"He really doesn't like me like that," she stated, coming to the same conclusion. "He's just trying to be a good friend." She sighed again, and sniffed sadly. "Well, I guess we'd better go in."

He put his arm around her shoulder, and walked into the bar with her. He really didn't dislike her after all, he just hated seeing her get her hopes up, and then getting them crushed every few days. But as they walked into the room, he saw Phineas behind the bar, and stopped suddenly. The smaller boy was staring at them in shock.


	4. Chapter 4

Carpe Diem

Whyteroze28

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas, Ferb or their friends. They belong to Dan Povenmire, and Jeff Marsh.

Phineas and Ferb are teenagers, but things haven't been going that well for either of them lately. Will things get better, or are things to far gone to fix? Slash. Don't like, Don't read. And the title of this comes from a song that will be in the musical version of the 'Rollercoaster' episode.

Chapter 4

Ferb passed Isabella off to Buford and Baljeet, who were talking to some of the nearby aliens, and walked over to his step-brother.

"Hey, what's up with Isabella?" he asked, as Ferb moved behind the bar.

"She's had a bit of a shock, but she seems to be handling it rather well," Ferb replied.

Phineas looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled. "Did you finally tell her I don't want to date her?"

Ferb looked up, amazed at having his theory confirmed. "You... you really did know?"

"Yes, I knew. I just wasn't sure how to break it to her without making her cry." Phineas turned towards the bar, his posture slightly defensive. "I was kind of hoping someone else would tell her."

Ferb stared at his step-brother in amazement. "So you make me into the bad guy, instead?"

"No, that wasn't my intention at all. I was just hoping _someone_ would tell her who could let her down easy. Someone who could be sensitive about it... you know, I'm not eactly stellar in that capacity."

"No, you're really not," Ferb replied, snarling a little. He couldn't believe that Phineas had planned this so perfectly... Then again, Phineas was the planner, and Ferb was usually the one who did all the work. He sighed, as he pulled the clothes they had bought the day before out of his backpack. "Well, let's get changed then."

They went into the restroom, and changed into the clothes, which were almost perfect replicas of the outfits they had worn the last time they had visited. Turquoise shirts, lime green ties, and white jeans. They'd decided to go with jeans, because they fit better than the slacks they'd seen.

As Ferb glanced over at the other boy, his jaw dropped. It was as if he'd gone back in time. The clothes brought back the memories of the last time they'd been here. And he wondered if Phineas was feeling the same rush of nostalgia. Then he caught the look on the red-head's face, and gulped. That didn't quite look like nostalgia.

They made their way to the bar, and waved at the customers... and the band, which was also the same one from the last time. The singer introduced them, and they fell into their old routine as they heard the familiar tune being played. They had extended the routine a little, adding extra flair... and a few extra moves. They stood with their backs to each other, and exchanged shakers as if it was nothing. Then they climbed onto the bar and began dancing as the song continued.

_Shake, shake, shake, shake your asteroid_

_Shake, shake, shake, shake your asteroid_

Ferb couldn't help wondering what was going through the other boy's mind as they danced. Their friends were watching the spectacle, and they all seemed a bit shell-shocked. He saw Isabella's eyes glaze over, and sighed as he realized that she still wasn't quite ready to accept his explanation. He glanced over at Phineas to see if he had noticed the girl's expression, and almost missed a step in shock. He didn't remember Phineas putting quite so much _emotion_ in the moves when they'd practiced this sequence the night before. Then he looked back out into the audience and cringed inwardly when he noticed that Irving was staring at him with almost the same expression that Isabella had just been wearing.

As they stepped down off the bar, the customers began cheering, and their friends came over to congratulate them. Ferb flinched as Irving attempted to hug him, and watched as Isabella attempted a flying leap towards Phineas. He deftly avoided the maneuver, and turned it into a quick friendly hug. Her face fell, and Ferb watched the realization finally sink in.

Then she smiled. "You aren't getting out of going to the dance with me, Phineas. You already agreed." Then she reached out to snag Ferb's arm, and glanced up at him. "And I think I'll have the hottest dates there."

As Phineas and Ferb exchanged a significant look, Buford turned to look at her. "How? I've got somewhere else to be tonight."

As the group began laughing, Isabella glared at him. "Oh, get over it. You deal with your own date, and I'll worry about mine."

Baljeet looked over at her, and then at Buford. "But, I thought we were going to the movies?" Ferb couldn't hide the grin that was threatening to break across his face, so he turned to look at Phineas... who was staring at him with a very thoughtful look on his face. Suddenly, Ferb felt as though he was close to becoming a mission, and it was very unnerving.

As they finally arrived back in their backyard, Isabella turned to look at the boys. "Don't you dare change out of those clothes, they're perfect. I'll be back after I get ready." Buford and Baljeet followed her out, still discussing whether or not they were actually going on a date or not. Irving seemed reluctant to follow, but Phineas glared at him, and he turned and left.

Ferb turned to head into the house, but stopped, as he felt his step-brother's hand on his arm. Looking back, he was surprised to see the look of uncertainty on Phineas' face. "Ferb, are you mad at me for that whole thing with Isabella? I really was planning on saying something tonight. I mean, I would have had to anyway, but..." His voice trailed off.

Ferb ran a hand over his face in exasperation. "I'm not mad at you, although I think you could have picked a better way to deal with this." As he watched Phineas' face fall more, he grabbed the smaller boy's hand, and pulled him over to the picnic table, where he could sit down, and not feel like he was towering over the other boy.

"Phineas, you are the most important person in my life. We've been so close for so long..." _Better stop that train of thought quickly._ "But, it's not my job to be your deflector shield." He looked up, and locked eyes with the red-head. "The thing that upsets me is the fact that I had no say in this. You just seemed to assume that _someone_, most likely me, would take care of it."

Before Phineas could reply, Ferb stood up, and hugged him. "We'll have time to discuss this later," he said quietly. "Just think about what you're going to say to Isabella."


	5. Chapter 5

Carpe Diem

Whyteroze28

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas, Ferb or their friends. They belong to Dan Povenmire, and Jeff Marsh.

Phineas and Ferb are teenagers, but things haven't been going that well for either of them lately. Will things get better, or are things to far gone to fix? Slash. Don't like, Don't read. And the title of this comes from a song that will be in the musical version of the 'Rollercoaster' episode.

Chapter 5

The boys went into the kitchen to check Perry's food and water, and decided to make themselves a quick sandwich before Isabella returned. After all, there was no telling what kind of food might be at the dance, and they hadn't had much to eat since breakfast.

"So," Phineas said, suddenly, "Buford and Baljeet seem to be moving along rather well."

Ferb nodded. "It seems that way. I think they're just picking up right where they left off." _Well, with less bullying and a touch more romance, I hope._ Although there had been some very interesting moments between the two even when they were children.

Then he caught the end of Phineas' next comment, about fanboy Irving, and glared at him. "I had almost forgotten that, thank you." Then Phineas laughed, and he growled, "What now?"

"Just remembering the way he was looking at you earlier," Phineas replied, still laughing. "Like you were the newest trailer for a Clive Addison movie."

Ferb sighed. "Actually, I wanted to ask you about that. Was it just me, or did that dance feel a bit more... _risqué_ than it did the last time we did it?"

"Well, a lot of things seem different than they did when we were ten," Phineas said, blushing a little bit. "I mean, can you imagine us singing PFT's song nowadays? Or wearing the clothes we wore when we were in the Baljeetles?"

"Or both," Ferb chuckled, but then he had a sudden mental image of Phineas in the leather jacket, orange shirt, and zebra-striped pants he'd worn at that concert, singing 'Gitchee Gitchee Goo." Strangely enough, it left him feeling rather lightheaded, and he sank into the nearest chair, with a quiet, "Damn."

He saw Phineas glance curiously at him, but before either of them could speak, the front door opened, and Isabella floated in. Both boys smiled in appreciation... she was pretty after all. Although Ferb noticed how well her dress complimented their clothes, and wondered if she'd done that on purpose.

The three teens went outside, and climbed into Candace's old car. When Candace had gotten her license, the Flynn grandparents had bought her a car, which she'd named, oddly enough, the Candace Crusher 2. Yet strangely enough, it was the girliest car the boys had ever known... even though they couldn't quite figure out why. It wasn't pink, it didn't have any type of frills or anything to make it girly, it just was. They drove to the lake where the dance was being held in silence, with the radio as their only real sound.

At the dance, they let Isabella's friend Ginger, who was the photographer, take a picture of the three of them. She promised them all copies, then Ferb wandered over towards the stage, to see what type of music the DJ was planning to play. He passed a few people he vaguely remembered from elementary school, but no-one who really seemed familiar. Then...

"Hey, Ferb."

He turned, and frowned slightly. "Vanessa? What are you doing here?"

"Johnny and I were conned into chaperoning. And you?"

He shrugged. "I got dragged along with Phineas, but it's cool." Then he held out his hand. "Do you think your boyfriend would mind if I asked you to dance?"

She smiled. "Nah, he's pretty cool about stuff like that." As they stepped out, into the dancing area, she added, "You know, I've heard so much from Candace about the stuff you and Phineas used to do when you guys were kids. You guys must be like, geniuses or something."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," he replied, a little self-consciously. Then he chuckled. "This is so strange. Six years ago, this would have been ideal but..."

"What?" she asked, curiously.

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Well, I'm dancing with the only woman I've ever been attracted to, but I can't seem to stop thinking about some unusual things that happened today."

Her eyes widened, and she took in the serious face of the British boy. "Only... Ferb, are you...?"

"Oh, it's worse than that," he said, sighing. Then he leaned in, and whispered something into her ear, and she turned to look at him, stunned. "I told you. I guess you think I've got one hell of a problem."

She shook her head. "It could be worse, believe me. I mean, my dad's in love with a..." Suddenly, there was a loud bang from a nearby street, and they both jumped. "Anyway, I don't see the problem. It's not like there would be anything illegal about it. You just have to decide if you can handle everyone else's reactions."

As the song ended she left to go find Johnny, and Ferb turned to head for the snack table. Before he got there, however, he saw Phineas and Isabella standing near a tree, apparently in a heated argument. He saw her glance towards the dance area, and when she saw him watching them, she glared at him, so he turned away.

He finally made it over to the snack table, and poured himself a glass of punch. As he stood there drinking it, he surveyed the dancers, and watched as Phineas led a still somewhat irate Isabella out among the dancers. Then Vanessa and Johnny walked over to where he was standing. He watched the man toss a lit cigarette to the ground, and step on it, then grab himself a drink.

"Hey, again," Vanessa said, getting her own drink. "Looks like your step-brother's having a rough time of things." She nodded towards the dance floor, where Phineas had an exasperated look on his face.

Johnny snorted. "It's the girl. I heard them arguing when I went for a smoke. She can't stand the fact that he told her he was in love with someone else." As Vanessa and Ferb both stared at him, he continued. "Yeah, he must have said who, but I didn't catch a name. But she was freaking out. So she made him promise he'd spend the rest of the dance with her."

Vanessa leaned in and whispered to her boyfriend for a minute, and he chuckled slightly. "Yeah, sure babe, no problem." Ferb wondered if she was worried about him.

Ferb spent the rest of the dance hanging out with Vanessa and her boyfriend. He danced with Vanessa a few more times, and was beginning to relax a bit. He'd spent his time dancing, and getting to know her and her boyfriend, who was actually very cool. However, every time he caught sight of Phineas and Isabella, he noticed a pained look on the other boy's face. He felt like he should do something, but couldn't help flashing back to that comment Johnny had repeated... that Phineas was in love.

He'd never seen a hint of a possible romance brewing, and he'd always been the detail-oriented one. He felt stunned. And the fact that he was discovering that his crush on Vanessa really wouldn't have made it past the first stage really didn't help. Not that she wasn't a great person, but the things they discussed made it painfully obvious that they were definately not compatible. It did help him him put the conversation they'd had during their first dance in a better perspective though.

Vanessa was determined to cheer him up though. She told some funny anecdotes about her family, mostly about her father's desperate attempts to win her affections. Strangely, the tales portrayed the man in a more sympathetic light than he would have believed. Some of the stories commented on her father's sad childhood, and Ferb wondered exactly how much of it was real, and how much her father had exagerated.

Then the lights around the lake dimmed, and Ferb glanced towards the DJ's area. But the DJ wasn't there, and instead, there were instruments up on the stage, that had apparently been set up during the last couple of songs. He stared in amazement as three very familiar people walked onto the stage. Then he saw Phineas grin, and realized that the boy must have planned this.

He smiled as Love Handel launched into one of his favorite songs, "Music Makes Us Better". He'd always identified with that song, because he'd been the one in the family with the most eclectic musical tastes. The whole family was musically inclined, of course, but he was the one who'd always (since he didn't talk much) used his music to communicate for him. And it really did seem to lift his spirit.

They performed a few more songs, and then announced a special finale. Apparently, Phineas had asked to sing with the band. Ferb chuckled as he remembered how well Phineas had sung as a child. Not that it was bad, but his voice had been rather high. He was more suited to pop than rock. Then again, he hadn't really heard the boy sing since his voice broke. As he watched the red-head step out onto the stage, he noticed that he wasn't wearing the same clothes that he'd worn to the dance. He was wearing an almost duplicate outfit to the one Ferb had pictured him in earlier, except he had foregone the zebra-striped pants for a pair of dark jeans. And the image was more striking than it had appeared in his head.

Phineas' voice had definately gotten better. It was rich and melodious, and flowed out over the audience. But the music wasn't the hard rock that Ferb had expected. Instead, it was almost an acoustic ballad. As Phineas looked up, his eyes locked with the green-haired boy in the audience, and Ferb could only stare as he heard the lyrics and realized exactly what he was hearing.

_I remember when we were young_

_When we had so much fun_

_In those days when_

_We spent all our time together_

_You and me, we have such a history_

_And sometimes, I really miss those days_

_Because they meant so much to me_

_And I could lie and say that everything is fine_

_But I just wish you'd talk to me again_

_Cause I wanna know_

_What you'd say_

_If I tell you there's_

_A part of me that can't let go_

_We didn't have everything_

_But I can still imagine it_

_I try to hide it all when you're near_

_But I can't help wishing that you would hear_

_The way my heart screams your name_

_When you're close_

_Now I'm asking you_

_Do you ever wonder_

_About the spell I'm under_

_Or have confusing_

_Dreams starring you and me_

_I've always wondered where things went wrong_

_Could I have told you in a song?_

_And I guess this is just my sad little attempt_

_And I miss that look I see in your eyes_

_When I've taken you by surprise... and sometimes_

_The way everything was possible_

_I miss the way we used to be_

_Before love came along_

_Cause I wanna know_

_What you'd say_

_If I tell you there's_

_A part of me that can't let go_

_We didn't have everything_

_But I can still imagine it_

_I try to hide it all when you're near_

_But I can't help wishing that you would hear_

_The way my heart screams your name_

_When you're close_

_Now I'm asking you_

_Do you ever wonder_

_About the spell I'm under_

_Or have confusing_

_Dreams starring you and me_

_Now you probably hate me and I know I'd understand_

_But just remember every word I've said is true_

_Cause I wanna know_

_What you'd say_

_If I tell you there's_

_A part of me that can't let go_

_We didn't have everything_

_But I can still imagine it_

_I try to hide it all when you're near_

_But I can't help wishing that you would hear_

_The way my heart screams your name_

_When you're close_

_Now I'm asking you_

_Do you ever wonder_

_About the spell I'm under_

_Or have confusing_

_Dreams starring you and me_

The stage went dark, and Ferb exhaled shakily. That was intense. He wasn't sure whether to believe it or not. But then, little things he'd noticed all day began flashing through his mind. He felt like he'd been as blind as he'd always assumed Phineas was. He wanted to go find the other boy, but, he still wasn't quite sure that he'd connected all the dots correctly. Then he saw Isabella, except this time, she was smiling at him.

_AN: There is a link on my profile to the picture that Ginger took. And I hear the song Phineas is singing to the tune of "Introducing Me" by Nick Jonas._


	6. Chapter 6

Carpe Diem

Whyteroze28

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas, Ferb or their friends. They belong to Dan Povenmire, and Jeff Marsh.

Phineas and Ferb are teenagers, but things haven't been going that well for either of them lately. Will things get better, or are things to far gone to fix? Slash. Don't like, Don't read. And the title of this comes from a song that will be in the musical version of the 'Rollercoaster' episode.

Chapter 6

"I think you've got your answer," Vanessa spoke up from behind him. "Now, I think it's time for you to make a decision."

Ferb nodded, and looked around the rapidly dwindling crowd of people. The dance was officially over, and he noticed that a lot of people were looking his way. He suddenly understood that it really didn't matter what anyone else thought. He'd was tired of the lost feeling he'd had for the last four years.

He realized that, since he had discovered the truth about himself, he had been distancing himself from everyone, except Baljeet, and he had to wonder if that was the real reason that they'd stopped their summer projects. It was a harsh wake-up call, especially when he realized that Phineas had apparently reacted the same way.

Then he looked up, and saw Phineas stepping out from behind the stage, talking animatedly with Bobbi Fabulous. He smiled as he saw the red-head chewing on his thumbnail, a sure sign of Phineas' nervousness. Then the other boy glanced up, and Ferb saw the hesitant look on his face as he scanned the faces of the remaining people. He watched as Isabella walked over to Phineas, and said something, then pointed in his direction. Phineas looked at him, and Ferb felt the uncertainty wash away as he saw the emotion in his eyes again.

He watched Isabella give Phineas a not-so-subtle push, and felt Vanessa do the same to him. Then both boys were meeting by the side of the lake. Phineas stared up at him, and Ferb smiled slightly as the smaller boy brought his hand back up to his mouth. He reached out, and grabbed the hand, running his own thumb across the ragged nail.

"Stop that," he chided gently. Before the other boy could speak, Ferb shook his head. "No, let me get this out, please. When I said earlier that you were the most important person in my life, I meant it. Nothing has _ever_ meant more to me than your happiness. Unfortunately, I failed to realize that by distancing myself from you, I was diminishing that. I'd see you with Isabella, or one of the other girls from your classes, and assume that because you were ignoring how much they liked you, that you were doing the same with me. That you probably knew, but were hoping I wouldn't say anything. And then, that comment you made earlier..."

"Never!" Phineas' protest was vehement. "I had no idea you felt the same way. Every time I wanted to spend time with you, there was always someone, or something else that intervened. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I was scared that you'd hate me. And then Isabella asked me to this dance, so I talked to the band, and asked them to help me set this up."

Ferb chuckled. "So, you are still the master planner. I had wondered when things went sour this afternoon."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting you to finally get pissed off enough to tell Isabella I wasn't interested." Then Phineas laughed as well. "Although when I explained _why_ I wasn't interested, she flipped. Then she did an about face, commented that it made perfect sense, and made me promise to dance with her until my song... supposedly so I wouldn't back out."

"That explains why she was glaring at me so much. She was trying to keep me from coming over and making you nervous." Then he looked up, and realized that there wasn't anyone left at the lakeside. "She's probably waiting by the car. Think we should head home?"

They walked back to where they had parked the car, but there wasn't anyone there. Then Phineas picked up the note that had been left under the windshield wiper, and read it aloud.

_Guys, Ferb's friend Vanessa offered to give me a lift home. I'll probably see you tomorrow. IGS._

As they climbed into the car, Ferb couldn't help looking over at the other boy again. He was suddenly extremely nervous. He'd been so certain that this could never happen, that he hadn't dared to wonder what might happen if it did. Then Phineas turned to look at him, and again, it was like the nervousness just faded away. He was running on pure instinct.

He leaned down, and watched as the smaller boy's eyes slid closed. As their lips touched, a jolt shot down his spine. It was as if the connection that they'd once had, which had been stuttering back to life during the past few days, had suddenly solidified. He pulled back slightly, and saw his own surprise mirrored in Phineas' eyes. And more. As children they had often had an uncanny ability to understand each other, since Ferb hadn't spoken much... But now it felt like their very souls were connected.

He wasn't sure exactly how long they stayed in that position, but he finally turned the key, and they headed for home. As they walked into the quiet house, he remembered the note from that morning. He glanced over, and saw Phineas' thumb sneaking towards his mouth again. Ferb grabbed his hand again, and pulled him over to sit on the sofa.

"Hey, you wanna watch a _Space Adventure_ movie?" he asked, quietly. As Phineas looked at him, the nervousness Ferb had been sensing eased back a bit. The other boy nodded, and Ferb put in the DVD. They leaned back, Phineas curling into Ferb's side, and began to watch the movie.

As the movie played, Ferb's attention was more on the boy by his side than the television. _I wonder what's going on inside that head? He seems to be happy now, but a few minutes ago it was like he was about to jump out of his skin... He's obviously not afraid of me, otherwise he wouldn't be sitting so close, but then what..._ As he tried to understand the puzzling reaction, he looked up and realized that the movie was almost over. Then he looked down at Phineas, and smiled. The red-head was almost asleep, his eyelids fluttering as he tried to keep them open.

"Man, today must have taken a lot out of you," he chuckled. "C'mon, time for bed."

Instantly, Phineas' eyes were wide open, and he'd frozen. As Ferb's brain finally made the connection, he tried not to sigh in irritation. "Phineas, relax, okay. Look at me." As the other boy turned to look at him, he smiled. "Just because we're finally together, doesn't mean we have to immediately jump into a physical relationship. I really did mean sleep." Then he leaned in for another kiss. "Although I do rather fancy the idea of us sharing a room again."

After they climbed the stairs, the two headed into Phineas' room, which was the larger of their rooms, and began getting ready for bed. As they climbed into the bed, Ferb wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Ferb, do you really believe we can make this work?" Phineas whispered after a moment.

"There's not a doubt in my mind. We belong together, and nothing is going to come between us again. Now get some sleep."

"'Kay." Phineas' speech was slurring, which meant he was already half asleep. "Nite, Ferb. Love ya."

Ferb smiled as he tightened his grip slightly. "I love you, too. Good night, Phineas."


End file.
